Power busway used within multi-phase electric power distribution systems generally consists of long, rectangular bars of copper or aluminum material with each invididual bar electrically insulated to maintain electrical isolation between the individual phases as well as between the phase conductors and the neutral conductors. U.S. Patent Application Ser. No. 122,863 filed Nov. 19, 1987 entitled "Thermally Efficient Power Busway Housing" describes a power busway utilizing insulated bolts to tightly hold the bars in good thermal proximity with insulative coatings on the individual buses to maintain electrical integrity between the separate phases. This Application is incorporated herein for purposes of reference.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,365,537 describes a thru-bolt busway joint for joining adjacent sections of an electric power busway wherein electrical splice plates are spaced to receive uninsulated bus extensions from adjoining busway sections. The metallic splice plates are positionally spaced within the busway joints by means of embossments formed on the molded insulating plates that are interleaved between the bus conductors. Besides providing spacing between the metallic splice plates, the formed embossment also provides anti-turn facility to the plates when the thru-bolt is inserted within the plates to connect the busway joint between the adjacent busway sections.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,705,334 describes a busway joint which includes metallic splice plates interleaved with insulating plastic barriers. The plastic barriers include molded ribs formed thereon which cooperate with a square insulating tube to provide anti-turn function to the splice plates and barriers as well as to insulate the thru-bolt connector. Additionally, U.S. Pat. No. 3,786,394 describes an insulated tube of oval cross-section used with busway joints for the same purpose.
The use of molded insulating plates or barriers between metallic splice plates to prevent turning and to set the spacing between the splice plates adds considerable expense to the busway joint assembly. The instant invention improves thereover by utilizing inexpensive stamped plates of a glass-filled polyester material having good thermal conducting properties as well as good electrically insulating properties and provides apertured depressions within each of the splice plates to automatically set the required spacing.